(Editor's note: The following is the latest installment in a series of fishing tips presented by The Bass University. Check back each Friday for a new tip.)
Your knot is the final connection between your line and lure, a potentially perilous point of failure. Most anglers find one that they like, in order not to overcomplicate things, but they also often find that results in heartbreaking losses. That’s why you need more than one, but you also have to find the right options for particular circumstances – types of line, lures and applications.
Pete Gluszek said that there are three knots he uses every day. “I try to keep it as simple as possible,” he said. “I would reduce it to even less if I could.” It’s critical to find not only the right options, but also to learn to tie them quickly and perfectly. A 98-percent knot only tied 50 percent right is less than optimal. “It comes down to practice.”
The three that Gluszek uses are the improved clinch, the Palomar and the Albright knot.
The improved clinch is one of the first ones that most anglers learn, and while it has fallen out of favor in some quarters, Gluszek still uses it for the vast majority of his monofilament and fluorocarbon application. Part of that is because it’s so easy to tie – even with his hands shaking after catching a giant he can still retie perfectly every time. The other factor is that it’s shock-resistant. In applications like close-quarters flipping, he found that bigger fish tended to snap a Palomar on the hook set. He also likes the way that the tag end of the improved clinch lies, away from the rod, to make it more weedless. It’s his knot of choice for much of his flipping as well as for jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and ChatterBaits.
He still uses a Palomar knot when tying a dropshot, he explained. It’s a situation where the shock of the hookset isn’t all that dramatic, and he particularly likes the way the knot positions the hook to stand up. He also likes it any time he’s tying directly to braid, which itself is exceptionally shock resistant. That includes flipping, surface frogs, buzz toads and occasionally lipless crankbaits or vibrating jigs.
Leaders have recently become increasingly popular with both baitcasting and spinning gear. For examples of the latter, Gluszek might use a short length of monofilament with his topwaters so that the hooks don’t tangle in his braid. On spinning tackle, he’ll add a length of fluorocarbon to reduce visibility and cushion the shock of the braid. For all of these purposes he’s been using the Albright knot for over a decade. There are other knots that may be as effective, but they’re harder to tie, particularly in a rocking boat.
“With the Albright, it’s snap, crackle, pop,” he explained. “I can do it in 30 seconds or less.”
No matter which knot or knots you use, an adhesive can make them even more durable. Gluszek uses Krazy Glue with a brush applicator in the boat at all times to offset line coatings or imperfections.
If you want to get more insight into how Gluszek ties his three favorite knots, including step-by-step instructions, check out his full on-the-water video, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
